MANILA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Ronald Dela Rosa, a Philippine senator and former chief of the Philippine National Police, on Wednesday called on the public to take action to block his transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands.
"We received information that after today's Senate session, operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and police will come here to arrest me," he said on social media. "I am appealing to you to please help me. Let us not allow another Filipino to be taken to The Hague."
Dela Rosa has been reportedly linked to the anti-drug crackdown launched under former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is in detention at the ICC. The ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa on Monday evening, which had originally been issued in secret in November 2025.
On Monday, after months of absence, Dela Rosa returned to the Senate, and agents of the NBI attempted to detain Dela Rosa inside the Senate building but failed.
Dela Rosa's camp filed an urgent manifestation and omnibus motion on Monday through a law firm. Dela Rosa requested the issuance of a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction, prohibiting any arrest, detention, turnover, transfer, rendition, or surrender of him without a valid Philippine judicial warrant.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday said it did not issue a temporary restraining order to stop the possible ICC arrest of Dela Rosa, but ordered the respondent executive officials to comment on the petition. ■
